June 4
Events *780 BC - The first historic solar eclipse is recorded in China. *1039 - Henry III becomes Holy Roman Emperor. *1584 - Sir Walter Raleigh establishes first English colony on Roanoke Island, old Virginia (now North Carolina). *1615 - Forces under the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu take Osaka Castle in Japan. *1760 - Great Upheaval: New England planters arrive to claim land in Nova Scotia Canada taken from the Acadians. *1769 - A transit of Venus is followed five hours later by a total solar eclipse, the shortest such interval in the historical past. *1783 - The Montgolfier brothers publicly demonstrate their montgolfière (hot air balloon). *1792 - Captain George Vancouver claims Puget Sound for Great Britain. *1794 - British troops capture Port-au-Prince in Haiti. * 1804 - Grieving over the death of his wife, Marie Clothilde, king Charles Emmanuel IV of Sardinia abdicates his throne in favor of his brother, Victor Emmanuel. *1812 - Following Louisiana's admittance as a U.S. state, the Louisiana Territory was renamed the Missouri Territory. *1859 - Italian Independence wars: in the Battle of Magenta, the French army, under Louis-Napoleon, defeats an Austrian army. *1862 - American Civil War: Confederate troops evacuate Fort Pillow on the Mississippi River, leaving the way clear for Union troops to take Memphis. *1876 - An express train called the Transcontinental Express arrives in San Francisco, via the First Transcontinental Railroad only 83 hours and 39 minutes after having left New York City. *1878 - Cyprus Convention: The Ottoman Empire cedes Cyprus to the United Kingdom but retains nominal title. *1892 - Abercrombie & Fitch was founded *1912 - Massachusetts becomes the first state of the United States to set a minimum wage. *1913 - Emily Davison, a suffragette, runs out in front of the king's horse, Anmer, at the Epsom Derby. She is trampled and dies a few days later, never having regained consciousness. *1917 - The very first Pulitzer Prizes are awarded: Laura E. Richards, Maude H. Elliott, and Florence Hall receive the first Pulitzer for a biography (for Julia Ward Howe). Jean Jules Jusserand receives the first Pulitzer for history for his work With Americans of Past and Present Days. Herbert B. Swope receives the first Pulitzer for journalism for his work for the New York World. *1919 - Women's rights: The U.S. Congress approves the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which guaranteed suffrage to women, and sends it to the U.S. states for ratification. *1920 - Hungary loses 71% of its territory and 63% of its population when the Treaty of Trianon is signed in Paris. *1928 - President of the Republic of China Zhang Zuolin assassinated by Japanese agents. *1936 - Léon Blum becomes Prime Minister of France. *1939 - Holocaust: The [[Wikipedia:SS St. Louis|SS St. Louis]], a ship carrying 963 Jewish refugees, is denied permission to land in Florida, United States, after already having been turned away from Cuba. Forced to return to Europe, most of its passengers later died in Nazi concentration camps. *1940 - World War II: Dunkirk evacuation ends; British forces complete evacuation of 300,000 troops from Dunkirk in France. *1942 - World War II: Reinhard Heydrich dies in Prague due to the assassination of Czechoslovak paratroopers (Operation Anthropoid). * 1942 - World War II: Battle of Midway begins. Japanese Admiral Chuichi Nagumo orders a strike on Midway Island with much of the Imperial Japanese navy. *1943 - Military coup in Argentina ousts Ramón Castillo. *1944 - World War II: A hunter-killer group of the United States Navy capture the German submarine U-505, marking the first time a U.S. Navy vessel captured an enemy vessel at sea since the 19th century. * 1944 - World War II: Rome falls to the Allies, the first Axis capital to fall. *1948 - AC Omonoia: AC Omonoia (A football club in Cyprus) is created. *1960 - Lake Bodom murders. 3 Die, one survives with severe injuries *1967 - Stockport Air Disaster: British Midland flight G-ALHG crashes in Hopes Carr, Stockport, killing 72 passengers and crew. *1970 - Tonga gains independence from the United Kingdom. *1973 - Patent for the ATM granted to Don Wetzel, Tom Barnes and George Chastain. *1974 - The Cleveland Indians attempt an ill-advised ten cent beer promotion for a game against the Texas Rangers at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. Cleveland forfeits 9-0 after alcohol-fueled mayhem and violence spreads from the stands onto the field. *1979 - Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings takes power in Ghana after military coup in which General Akuffo is overthrown. *1986 - Jonathan Pollard pleads guilty to espionage for selling top secret United States military intelligence to Israel. *1989 - Ali Khamenei was elected as the new Supreme Leader of Islamic republic of Iran by the Assembly of Experts after death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. * 1989 - Tiananmen Square protests were violently ended in Chinese capital city - Beijing with People's Liberation Army soldiers and tanks, many innocent people were killed. * 1989 - Solidarity's victory in the first partly free parliamentary elections in post-war Poland sparks off a succession of peaceful anti-communist revolutions in Eastern Europe and leads to creation of the so-called Contract Sejm. * 1989 - Ufa train disaster: A natural gas explosion near Ufa, Russia, kills 575 as two trains passing each other throw sparks near a leaky pipeline. *1991 - The United Kingdom's Conservative government announces that some British regiments would disappear or be merged into others—the largest armed forces cuts in almost twenty years. *1998 - Terry Nichols is sentenced to life in prison for his role in the Oklahoma City bombing. *2004 - Marvin Heemeyer uses a bulldozer equipped with homemade armor plating to partially level Granby. Births *1394 - Philippa of England, queen of Denmark, Norway and Sweden (d. 1430) *1489 - Antoine (d. 1544) *1604 - Claudia de' Medici, Grand Duchess of Tuscany (d. 1648) *1665 - Zacharie Robutel de La Noue, Canadian soldier (d. 1733) *1694 - François Quesnay, French economist (d. 1774) *1704 - Benjamin Huntsman, English inventor and manufacturer (d. 1776) *1738 - King George III of Great Britain (d. 1820) *1744 - Patrick Ferguson, Scots army officer and rifle designer (d. 1780) *1754 - Franz Xaver, Austrian editor and astronomer (d. 1832) *1787 - Constant Prévost, French geologist (d. 1856) *1801 - James Pennethorne, English architect (d. 1871) *1821 - Apollon Maykov, Russian poet (d. 1897) *1866 - Miina Sillanpää, Finnish politician (d. 1952) *1867 - C.G.E. Mannerheim, President of Finland (d. 1951) *1877 - Heinrich Wieland, German biochemist, Nobel laureate (d. 1957) *1880 - Clara Blandick, American actress (d. 1962) *1881 - Natalia Goncharova, Russian painter (d. 1962) *1887 - Tom Longboat, marathon runner (d. 1949) *1894 - Madame Bolduc, French Canadian singer (d. 1941) *1899 - Hassan Fathy, Egyptian architect (d. 1989) *1907 - Rosalind Russell, American actress (d. 1976) * 1907 - Jacques Roumain, Haitian writer (d. 1944) *1910 - Christopher Sydney Cockerell, British engineer and inventor (d. 1999) *1916 - Robert F. Furchgott, American chemist, recipient of the Nobel laureate * 1916 - Fernand Leduc, Canadian painter (The Automatistes) *1919 - Robert Merrill, American baritone (d. 2004) *1923 - Elizabeth Jolley, Australian writer (d. 2007) *1924 - Dennis Weaver, American actor (d. 2006) * 1924 - Tofilau Eti Alesana, former Prime Minister of Samoa (d. 1999) *1928 - Ruth Westheimer, German-born sex therapist and author *1929 - Karolos Papoulias, Greek politician *1930 - Morgana King, American actress * 1930 - Viktor Tikhonov, Russian hockey player and coach *1932 - Oliver Nelson, American jazz composer and arranger (d. 1975) * 1932 - Maurice Shadbolt, New Zealand writer * 1932 - John Drew Barrymore, American actor (d. 2004) *1934 - Seamus Elliott, Irish cyclist (d. 1971) *1936 - Bruce Dern, American actor *1937 - Freddy Fender, American musician (d. 2006) * 1937 - Robert Fulghum, American author * 1937 - Gorilla Monsoon, American professional wrestler (d. 1999) * 1937 - Mortimer Zuckerman, American publisher *1938 - Art Mahaffey, American baseball player *1943 - Joyce Meyer, American religious leader *1944 - Michelle Phillips, American singer (The Mamas & the Papas) and actress *1945 - Anthony Braxton, American composer and instrumentalist * 1945 - Gordon Waller, Scottish musician (Peter and Gordon) *1947 - Viktor Klima, Chancellor of Austria *1948 - Bob Champion, English Jump Jockey *1949 - Gabriel Arcand, French Canadian actor *1950 - Dagmar Krause, German singer (Slapp Happy, Henry Cow, Art Bears) * 1950 - George Noory, American radio personality * 1950 - Kevin Woodford, English celebrity chef *1952 - Parker Stevenson, American actor and director *1953 - Paul Samson, British guitarist (Samson) (d. 2002) * 1953 - Susumu Ojima, Japanese entrepreneur (Huser) *1955 - Paul Stewart, English writer *1956 - Martin Adams, English darts player * 1956 - Keith David, American actor * 1956 - Gerry Ryan, Irish radio talkshow host * 1956 - John Hockenberry, American journalist * 1956 - Terry Kennedy, American baseball player *1957 - John Treacy, Irish athlete *1960 - Bradley Walsh, British actor *1961 - El DeBarge, American singer (DeBarge) * 1961 - Andrea Jaeger, American tennis player *1962 - Zenon Jaskuła, Polish cyclist *1962 - John P. Kee, American Gospel singer *1964 - Eva Fampas, Greek guitarist *1965 - Mick Doohan, Australian motorcycle racer *1966 - Cecilia Bartoli, Italian mezzo-soprano * 1966 - Vladimir Voevodsky, Russian mathematician *1969 - Horatio Sanz, Chilean-born comedian *1970 - Richie Hawtin, Canadian musician * 1970 - David Pybus, British musician *1971 - Joseph Kabila, Congolese politician * 1971 - Noah Wyle, American actor * 1971 - Shoji Meguro, Japanese composer *1972 - Nikka Costa, American singer * 1972 - Derian Hatcher, American ice hockey player * 1972 - Rob Huebel, American comedian *1974 - Darin Erstad, American baseball player * 1974 - Andrew Gwynne, British politician * 1974 - Stefan Lessard, American musician *1975 - Angelina Jolie, American actress *1975 - Henry Burris, American Football Quarterback * 1975 - Russell Brand, British comedian and television personality *1977 - Quinten Hann, Australian snooker player * 1977 - Dionisis Chiotis, Greek footballer * 1977 - Berglind Icey, Icelandic actor *1979 - Naohiro Takahara, Japanese footballer * 1979 - Daniel Vickerman, Australian rugby union player *1980 - Alicja Janosz, Polish singer * 1980 - François Beauchemin, French Canadian ice hockey player *1981 - Yourkas Seitaridis, Greek footballer *1982 - Jin Au-Yeung, Chinese-American rapper *1983 - Emmanuel Eboué, Ivorian footballer *1984 - Ian White, Canadian hockey player * 1984 - Rainie Yang, Taiwanese singer and actress *1985 - Lukas Podolski, Polish-born footballer * 1985 - Bar Refaeli, Israeli model * 1985 - Evan Lysacek, American figure skater * 1985 - Ana Carolina Reston, Brazilian fashion model (d. 2006) *1986 - Shane Kippel, Canadian actor *1990 - Zac Farro, American drummer in (Paramore) *1991 - Jordan Hinson, American actress *1992 - Dino Jelusić, Croatian singer Deaths *1039 - Conrad II *1135 - Emperor Huizong of China (b. 1082) *1206 - Adèle of Champagne, wife of Louis VII of France *1257 - Duke Przemysl I of Poland *1394 - Mary de Bohun, wife of Henry IV of England *1463 - Flavio Biondo, Italian humanist (b. 1392) *1585 - Muretus, French humanist (b. 1526) *1663 - William Juxon, Archbishop of Canterbury (b. 1582) *1798 - Giacomo Casanova, Italian womanizer and writer (b. 1725) *1801 - Frederick Muhlenberg, American statesman (b. 1750) *1830 - Antonio José de Sucre, Great Marshall of Ayacucho (b. 1795) *1872 - Johan Rudolf Thorbecke, Dutch politician (b. 1798) *1875 - Eduard Mörike, German poet (b. 1804) *1922 - William Halse Rivers Rivers, English doctor (b. 1864) *1926 - Fred Spofforth, Australian cricketer (b. 1853) *1928 - Zhang Zuolin, Chinese warlord (b. 1873) *1929 - Harry Frazee, Boston Red Sox owner from 1916-1923 (b. 1881) *1939 - Tommy Ladnier, American musician (b. 1900) *1941 - Wilhelm II of Germany, German emperor (b. 1859) *1942 - Reinhard Heydrich, Nazi official (b. 1904) *1951 - Serge Koussevitsky, Russian conductor (b. 1874) *1956 - Katherine MacDonald, American actress (b. 1881) *1962 - Clem McCarthy, American sportscaster (b. 1882) *1964 - Samuil Marshak, Russian poet (b. 1887) *1968 - Dorothy Gish, American actress (b. 1898) *1970 - Sonny Tufts, American actor (b. 1911) *1971 - Georg Lukács, Hungarian philosopher (b. 1885) *1973 - Maurice René Fréchet, French mathematician (b. 1878) * 1973 - Murry Wilson, father of Brian Wilson, Dennis Wilson and Carl Wilson (b. 1917) *1989 - Dik Browne, American cartoonist (b. 1917) *1994 - Derek Leckenby, British guitarist (Herman's Hermits) (b. 1943) * 1994 - Massimo Troisi, Italian actor (b. 1953) *1997 - Ronnie Lane, British bass player (b. 1946) *2001 - Dipendra of Nepal (b. 1971) * 2001 - John Hartford, American musician (b. 1937) *2002 - Fernando Belaúnde Terry, Peruvian politician (b. 1912) *2004 - Steve Lacy, American saxophonist (b. 1934) * 2004 - Nino Manfredi, Italian actor (b. 1921) *2007 - Jim Clark, American sheriff and segregationist (b. 1922) *2007 - Bill France Jr., NASCAR pioneer (b. 1933) * 2007 - U.S Senator Craig L. Thomas (b.1933) Holidays and observances *Tonga - National Day. *Finland - National flag day of the Finnish Defence Forces (on Mannerheim's birthday). *Hong Kong - Tiananmen Square Protests of 1989 memorial day. Liturgical Feast days * Saint Francis Caracciolo (died 608) * Saint Petrock of Cornwall * Saint Quirinus (died 308) External links * BBC: On This Day * * On this day in Canada ---- June 04